Intel, Home Depot, Microsoft Lead DJIA During Earnings Season

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 2.8% year to date through Thursday's close after setting an all-time intraday high at 17,151.56 on July 17. Even so, the Dow 30 is down fractionally since my pre-earnings post on July 7. Only 11 of 30 Dow components had gains between July 3 and Thursday.

The winning stocks since July 3 are Intel with a gain of 13%; Home Depot , which is up 11%; and Microsoft , which is up 8.2%.

The relatively poor price performance belies that 23 companies in the DJIA beat analysts' earnings-per-share estimates, three matched estimates, and only four missed.

Investors who wish to buy a stock should use a good-until-canceled, or GTC, limit order to buy weakness to a value level. Investors who want to sell a stock should use a GTC limit order to sell strength to a risky level.